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No. 14: Washington Huskies

Image (1) uw.gif for post 321



2009-10 record: 26-10 (11-7), third in Pac-10
Lost to West Virginia in Sweet 16
Coach: Lorenzo Romar, 171-91, 8 years (264-179 overall)
Last NCAA miss: 2008
2010-11 roster [click here]
2010-11 schedule [click here]

The good: The Huskies embrace their guard-heavy roster by using fleet lineups that create matchup nightmares for opponents. Everyone has a role, too.

Junior point guard Isaiah Thomas runs the show (and fearlessly drives the lane). Venoy Overton pesters opponents until they crack. Justin Holiday provides the mid-range game, while redshirt freshman C.J. Wilcox is the pure shooter. Coach Lorenzo Romar also will find room for freshman Terrence Ross, who provides a mix of size, athleticism and shooting Washington hasn’t had in years.

The bad: Bryan-Amaning is the only known quantity up front - not that he’s a sure-thing. Sophomore Tyreese Bresher retired due to recurring health problems, while junior forward Darnell Gant is a nice role player. Perhaps transfer Aziz N’Diaye, a 7-foot, 260-pound center, can fill the role of tough rebounder and defender down low.

The unknown: Abdul Gaddy. Actually, he’s not an unknown, given that the 6-3 sophomore was a McDonald’s All-American. What’s unknown is why he stinks when he dons a Washington jersey.

He looked lost and overwhelmed as a freshman, but displayed some savvy and confidence while playing with Team USA’s U-18 squad during the summer. He can’t afford another sub-par season on this guard-dominated roster or he’s simply taking up space.

Mike Miller’s also on Twitter @BeyndArcMMiller, usually talkin’ hoops. Click here for more.